Always maintained that he preferred comedic to dramatic roles, and always regretted that he got to play in so few of them because he was typed as an elegant menace.
Became a lifelong friend of Angela Lansbury's when they were making The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) together; he guested three times on her successful TV series "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) and she convinced him to buy property close to hers in Ireland.
Distant relative of Mark Hatfield, long-time Senator from the state of Oregon.
Like Dorian Gray, Hurd Hatfield maintained a good, relatively youthful appearance well into his seventies. He credited this to the fact that he neither drank nor smoked and exercised regularly.
Years later, a friend of his bought the painting of young Dorian Gray that was used in the movie "The Picture of Dorian Gray" at an auction, and gave it to Hatfield.